You make what feels like a reasonable to-do list for the day, but then you only get half of it done. You carefully calculate how early you need to wake up to make it out the door on time, but then you wind up running late anyway. You tell your guests dinner will be at 6:00, but the food isn’t ready until 7:30. In each of these cases, you’ve fallen… Read More »How to Overcome the Planning Fallacy
Extrinsic vs. Intrinsic Motivation: Does it Really Matter? A lot is made of extrinsic vs. intrinsic motivation. Here’s a quick breakdown: Extrinsic motivation is when you’re driven by external rewards, like praise, money, and looking good. Intrinsic motivation is when you’re driven by internal rewards, like living up to your own values, doing what you love, and feeling better. And there’s plenty of research showing that intrinsic motivation is more… Read More »The Most Effective Form of Motivation
“The pain that’s created by avoiding hard work is actually much worse than any pain created from the actual work itself.” –Russel Simmons1 Procrastinating comes with many costs. One is “the thinking cost” – the taxing mental exercise of thinking about whatever you’re not doing, coming up with excuses to not do it, and then feeling guilty about procrastinating as you choose a more pleasant task. The longer you put… Read More »The Pain of Procrastination
For many years, I have followed what’s known as a “slow-carb” diet. My meals contain a mix of protein, fiber, healthy fats, and complex carbohydrates. (A fancier name for this strategy is following a “low glycemic” diet.) What’s the point of a slow-carb diet? Eating this way prevents the carbohydrates I eat from digesting too quickly. As a result, the fuel they provide enters my bloodstream at a slow, steady… Read More »Preventing Sugar Crashes with a Slow Carb Diet